


The Little Things

by KairouWatoshimi



Category: Hollywood U: Rising Stars
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-16
Updated: 2015-06-02
Packaged: 2018-03-18 05:31:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3557930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KairouWatoshimi/pseuds/KairouWatoshimi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was the little things that matter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Love Letters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven’t actually been on the second date before but apparently there was a dialogue in which Hunt stated that if he stopped critiquing, it meant he stopped caring. So yea, this story is based off of that.

Alexandria Morgan had always wanted to be an idol. When she was younger, she fantasized about climbing on stage and having thousands of people cheer her on. When she was younger, she believed that one day, she would be able to write songs that would _move_ people to tears. When she was younger, she had dreams. When she was younger, she believed. But Alexandria Morgan grew up and realized that being an idol wasn’t just about the passion; being an idol was about the skills, the money, the looks, and hell, even the luck. And Alexandria Morgan didn’t have any of that.

At sixteen, after a couple harsh words from a stern singer that she admired, Alexandria gave up her dreams. However, unable to completely leave the glamours world behind, she decided to play it safe and become a manager instead. That way, she could manage celebrities and stay close to the world she so very much wanted to be a part of.

And that’s where she met _her._

_Jane._

Jane was everything she wished she was; beautiful, smart, talented, the young movie star had only debuted last year and already she was on the top of everyone’s list. Despite her rapid rise to fame, Jane was kind to everyone, never forgetting the little people or the things that got her where she was. She took criticisms with an open mind and an easy smile, never becoming discouraged from even the harshest of them all—something that Alexandria can’t even imagine herself going through.

But never let it fool you into thinking Jane was an easy pushover. Alexandria herself had only seen it once before but Jane probably had the sharpest wit and quickest tongue in the industry. Honest to a fault, the young movie star would not let a hater go unscathed. There were stories about Jane’s quick wit and sassy attitude during the movie star’s university days but those were only rumors.

The cell phone in her pocket vibrated, signaling an incoming text message. It was only the second week since Alexandria was assigned to be Jane’s manager but already, it felt like _years._ But in a good way. Jane was quick to open up and she had given Alexandria freedom and liberties with her person, she didn’t think was possible until at least a few years down the line. Alexandria pulled the cell phone out of her pocket with shaky fingers, debating with herself whether she should open it or not. The cell phone belonged to Jane and on one hand, she was the young movie star’s manager and filtering through important and unimportant messages was part of her job. On the other hand, this was Jane’s _personal number_ so everything she received should be important.

Right?

But what happened if it was some sort of advertisement? Alexandria knew how much she hated them and obviously, Jane, an extremely famous movie star, wouldn’t have the time to go through them all. Making up her mind, Alexandria swiped the screen with a finger, unlocking the smartphone and pulled up the most recent message.

She blinked, brows furrowing in confusion.

Apparently, someone Jane had labeled as “Asshole” had texted her.

 _I watched an early showing of your latest movie,_ the text read. _I haven’t fallen asleep watching a movie since_ Gerry.

Alexandria’s mouth fell open. What... what... what an _asshole!_ Who did this person think they were?! Unfortunately, she hadn’t seen Jane’s latest movie herself, but she knew for a fact that anything the young actress did was always the best. She sniffed, glaring at the phone, insulted on Jane’s behalf and wondered if she should delete the message before Jane could see it. Jane was currently working hard on a _new_ movie and the last thing she needed was an asshole ruining her day with a heartless insult.

“Hey Alex,” Jane’s voice came from behind her just as the phone vibrated with another incoming text.

Alexandria jumped in surprise, sending the phone into the air. Thankfully she caught it on its way down and spun around to face the actress. “Jane!” she blurted. “What are you doing?”

Jane raised an amused eyebrow. “I’m on break. What are _you_ doing?” Her eyebrows wiggled suggestively. “You’re not doing anything naughty are you? Sexting?”

She gaped. “No!” she managed to squeak out. “Your phone vibrated and I thought it might have been some ad or something so I took a look.” When the words left her mouth, Alexandria realized how absolutely stupid and noisy she sounded. “I’m sorry,” she blurted. “I didn’t mean to invade your privacy.”

The movie star laughed. “It’s alright,” she assured her. “It’s your job, isn’t it?” She sat down on a nearby chair and grabbed a water bottle. “What were they advertising?”

“Oh,” Alexandria exclaimed. “It wasn’t advertisement.”

Unable to talk while she was drinking water, Jane raised her eyebrows in question.

“U-um,” she stammered. “It was some...” she looked down at the phone, the new message glowing up innocently at her, although its words were anything but innocent.

_I can see you’ve read my message. You’re not ignoring me are you? Figured you’re the type to._

Jaws dropping again, Alexandria gaped at the message; was the person unable to send a text without an insult? She _really_ didn’t want Jane to see these messages. “Ooh!” she exclaimed angrily.

“What’s wrong?” Jane asked, concerned.

“It’s just this person!” Alexandria replied. “I can see why you labeled him as “Asshole” in your contacts!” It was too late to hide the messages from the movie star, she might as well come out clean with it. Besides, she was here so if Jane ever needed someone to complain to... her ears were open.

At her words, Jane perked up in such a way that made her entire face glow. “Let me see my phone,” she said, holding out her free hand expectantly.

Alexandria blinked at Jane’s sudden change in demeanor. She was usually a very positive person so Alexandria was very familiar with Jane’s usual, happy expression. But this... this... well; she wasn’t exactly sure what to think of about _this_ specific expression. Hesitantly, she handed the actress’ phone over to her and watched in fascination as her smile stretched and she giggled at the message as if it was something other than an insult.

For the next couple of minutes, it continued on like that. Jane would smile whenever her phone vibrated and she would immediately type back a response. She would bite her lips and her eyes would flash and Alexandria was reminded of the time Jane had told off an obnoxiously rude paparazzi and sent him crying.

“Jane!” the director called out. “You’re on in five!”

“Coming,” she called back, her eyes never leaving the small screen of her phone as she typed in another response. Once satisfied, she tossed the phone back to Alexandria and said, “Keep it safe for me, okay?”

Alexandria nodded in return and watched as Jane made her way back onto the set. She looked down at the phone, wondering if she had someone misread the message earlier. Shaking off the feeling that she was invading the actress’ privacy, she scrolled back up and reread the top message again, proving to herself that her eyesight was doing just fine. But even more surprising than Jane’s reaction to the insult was her response.

 _I had forgotten how much I want to strangle you,_ she had typed.

She blinked.

 _I feel much the same way,_ was the following response. _I find myself taken back by your popularity, standards must have dropped since my day._

Who _was_ this person? Jane was talking—exchanging insults—with some retired celebrity? She _knew_ a retired celebrity? What was a star, who was at her peak doing taking insults from a person who wasn’t even in the industry anymore?

 _I’m sure_ , Jane replied. _They probably can’t handle another egotistic asshole._

_An overconfident, narcissistic bitch isn’t much of an improvement._

Alexandria’s mouth fell open again. And these were the messages Jane was so happy about? Was there a hidden message in there that she just wasn’t seeing? Were they even reading the same messages? Maybe _Jane_ needed to get _her_ eyes checked. She made a mental note to make an appointment as soon as she was done reading.

 _Funny,_ Jane had responded, _how I can take those exact same adjectives and describe you? How did you get an early showing of my movie anyway?_

_Who do you think you’re talking to?_

_Cashed in a few favors, did you?_

Alexandria raised her eyebrows. Was it just her or did the tone of the conversation taken a subtle turn?

 _Please, you think that I actually_ want _to watch you on the big screen? I would rather gouge my eyes out with a dull spoon and replace them with cacti._

The young manager winched at the mental imagery.

_Your ability to make me want to commit mass homicide never ceases to astonishes me._

_Ouch,_ she thought. Who knew Jane had it in her? That was even worst. Just as she was about to put the phone away and stop snooping through her charge’s phone, it vibrated again, signaling another message. Unable to help herself, Alexandria looked down, wondering how the mysterious person would response and what kind of insult he or she had for Jane. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise and she wondered what the devil kind of relationship Jane actually had with the person.

 _I miss you too,_ it read.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: “Gerry” is actually a real movie that has made it into multiple “Most Boring Movie” lists.


	2. Sweet Nothings

It surprised Alexandria to notice that the exchange of text messages between Jane and the “Asshole” was not a rare occurrence. And the only reason she even knew this was because she noticed that Jane had a special smile reserved for the mysterious man and his biting insults. It was a type of smile that made her think that the young celebrity might be—maybe?—kind of in love with the man. Short of outright _asking_ her about it, there was no way she could actually confirm her suspicions.

“Ooh!” Jane exclaimed angrily as she stormed into the privacy of their shared condo. “That utter _bastard_ of a man!” Alexandria watched with wide eyes as Jane ripped off her jacket and tossed it away before throwing herself onto the sofa.

“Are you alright?” Alexandria asked in concern.

Instead of answering, she reached over into her bag and pulled out a crumbled package of paper and thrust it in Alexandria’s direction.

“Anders Stone,” she read, tilting her head for a better look and then skimmed through the contents. “Isn’t this one of the offers from the stack I gave you this morning?”

“Yes,” Jane answered with an annoyed growl. “Turn it down. As a matter of fact, if you ever get anything from that... that... _rat_ again, just turn it down. Any projects from his company aren’t even worth considering.” The amount of venom in Jane’s voice surprised her. While she knew the young star had a viciousness about her that she usually hid from the rest of the world, there were still moments in which the extent of it still shocked her.

Alexandria swallowed hard. “U-um,” she stammered. “Anders Stone is a good name to be linked to. Are you sure you want to turn him down?”

“Trust me,” she simply replied. She sat up suddenly, a thoughtful glint lighting up her eyes. “Actually, hand me my phone. I’ll give him a piece of my mind.” And then, grumbling under her breath, she added, “What kind of stupid idiot does he take me for?”

“No!” Alexandria immediately responded, grabbing the phone before Jane could reach it. The last thing she needed was Jane to start a fight with Anders Stone, head of one of the most powerful production companies in America. “I’m your manager, I’ll make the call. It’s my _job.”_ She began backing away, hoping to escape before Jane stopped her.

The call to Stone Productions was simple enough; thankfully Alexandria didn’t have to talk to Anders Stone himself, only a representative. Despite his obviously powerful influence, she had heard nasty rumors about him and wasn’t surprised that Jane wasn’t a fan, especially if she had worked with him in the past like her attitude towards him implied. Alexandria realized with sudden clarity that if she was going to do a better job filtering through offers for Jane, she would need to know the type of person Jane may want to work with and the type she would never, ever, in a million years, _ever_ want to work with—like Stone, apparently.

Turning on her laptop, she got to work, researching what she could about the young star. Three hours into her researching, a phone rang, its unfamiliar ring-tone making her jump into the air. She scrambled to grab a hold of the cellphone, took one look at the caller ID and immediately began to panic. What was she supposed to do? Just thrust the cellphone into Jane’s direction and hope for the best? Tell her her boyfriend was calling? Was he even her boyfriend? Wasn’t he retired? Just how old was the damn guy, anyway? The seconds ticked by and Alexandria only began to panic even more.

 _Oh, why?_ she thought as she ran out of her room and down the hall, hoping against all odds that Jane was still in the living room. Why couldn’t Jane labeled him with his actual name? Why asshole? Well, he certainly _was_ one from what she knew but it wasn’t as if she could burst into the room and announce, “Jane, Asshole is calling.” Of course, she realized in the back of her mind, she could always pick up the phone herself but the mere thought of talking to someone who could put such bite into insults over text messages was enough to make her knees shake.

Alexandria was relieved to see Jane was still in the living room, sitting on the sofa and watching television. “Jane,” she huffed. “Your phone!”

Jane was the image of calmness, the complete opposite of what Alexandria was feeling. “Who is it?” she asked without even bothering to turn her head in her direction.

Alexandria looked down at the still ringing phone worriedly. “Um... er... the guy you labeled as... as asshole...”

The movie star looked up then and pushed herself up so she could lean over the back of the sofa. Alexandria could only breathe a sigh of relief as she handed the cellphone over to her. “Hello?” Jane said into the phone, sounding just slightly breathless with excitement.

_“What is this I hear about you turning down Stone’s offer?”_

Alexandria blinked, the roughness and bite of the man’s voice over the loud speaker was even harsher than she had expected. Thank goodness she hadn’t picked it up earlier.

Jane blinked and then her facial expression dropped. Groaning, she tossed the phone next to her on the sofa and sunk back into its comforting cushions. “Is this what you’re calling me about?” she asked, picking the remote up and turning off the television. “Honestly? How did you even hear about this? I turned it down like, three hours ago.”

_“You think you’re so famous that you can decline offers on a whim?”_

Alexandria flinched as Jane sat up and glared at her cellphone, eyes flashing. “It’s not just on a whim,” she snapped. “You _know_ Stone wouldn’t think twice about ripping me off again. I can’t work with that kind of greedy bastard.”

Not wanting to redirect Jane’s anger towards herself, Alexandria backed out of the room as slowly as possible.

 _“I see you’re still as ignorant as ever,”_ the mysterious person drawled.

Knowing she shouldn’t but still unable to help herself, Alexandria stood just outside the doorway and slid down against the wall, listening in. She frowned in concern. Jane was usually a very open person but she never talked about the Asshole on her phone, keeping him some sort of secret. Of course, it wasn’t like Alexandria asked about him but... wasn’t it her _job_ to know these things?

 _“That’s why you hire professional lawyers to go over any legal documentations,”_ the man continued. _“You wouldn’t have had this problem before if you chose someone other than that pathetic amateur—”_

“Hey!” Jane cut in, her voice surprisingly hard. “Ethan was—is—a good agent!”

_“He was an amateur.”_

“Of course he was!” she huffed. “We all were! We can’t all be like you: youngest actor to win this award, youngest model to win that award, youngest director to win this and that award... blah, blah, blah.”

 _“No,”_ the man replied in a haughty tone, _“but you could try.”_

Jane groaned. “And you call _me_ narcissistic,” she grumbled but there was a humorous tilt in her tone that Alexandria couldn’t quite comprehend.

 _“Jane,”_ the man sighed, his voice soft and soothing, the complete contrast of what it was before. _“Anders Stone is a good opportunity. You have so much potential, I don’t want you to pass this chance up.”_

It was silent for a while. Then, just as Alexandria thought Jane had hung up on the Asshole, she finally spoke, her voice in a low whisper. “I’ll think about it.”

There was no doubt in Alexandria’s mind that Jane would change her mind about working with Anders Stone. The man had an influence on the young celebrity that Alexandria didn’t understand. In the past few weeks, Alexandria noticed that whenever Jane was feeling down, the Asshole’s texts were able to cheer her up, despite how utterly insulting they were. Then again, Alexandria also realized that Jane gave it back as good as she got.

Jane let out a quiet sigh. “Thomas,” she breathed.

Alexandria’s ears perked up. At last; a name that she could work with! Now all she had to do was go through all of Jane’s associates and figure out exactly who “Thomas” was and his relationship with the young star. She pushed down the rising guilt in her gut and strained her ears, trying to catch the low whispers of their conversation.

 _“You’re so very young, Jane,”_ Thomas replied. His voice sounded so miserable that Alexandria’s heart almost broke and she didn’t even know exactly what was going on. She also realized that she had no idea where the direction of their conversation was going anymore. Weren’t they talking about Anders Stone only two sentences ago?

Jane sighed but didn’t comment.

Alexandria closed her eyes, trying to piece the fragments together. Despite their trade of insults and subtle threats, they obviously cared for each other. She just wasn’t sure if they were only friends or perhaps something more? It was hard to tell; Jane and the mysterious Thomas honestly had one of the oddest relationship she had ever witnessed.

And she has seen a lot. It was _Hollywood_ , after all.

She snapped back into attention with a jolt some time later, realizing that she had actually dozed off. Muffling a squeak by stuffing a fist into her mouth, Alexandria looked around wildly, wondering what time it was. She checked her watch and promptly squeaked again. _“Two?”_ she whispered in horror, realizing that she was still kneeling just outside the living room door. Had Jane seen her? Did Jane realize that she was eavesdropping?

She poked her head through the doorway and peeked into the living room, squinting into the dim lighting. She could just make out the shadowy figure of Jane lying down on the sofa, fast asleep. Alexandria stood up, wincing as her knees cracked before slowly making her way back into the room. Shaking her head fondly, she grabbed a small blanket from a nearby couch and draped it softly over the movie star. Noticing that Jane was still holding onto her cellphone, she picked it up and moved to place it on the end table before noticing that it was still in the middle of a call. Straightening up, Alexandria tapped the screen, brightening it up.

Jane was still in the middle of a call with “Asshole.” _Four hours,_ she noticed, _and still going strong._

It was also still on speaker but Alexandria hesitantly brought the cellphone up and held it up against her ear. She could just barely make out the faint sound of someone breathing on the other end. Heart pounding, she swallowed hard and placed the phone back into Jane’s hand whose fingers immediately closed around the device. She mumbled something in her sleep and brought the phone closer towards her ear. Alexandria had a feeling that this was not the first time the two had fallen asleep listening to each other breathe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alexandria is being a creepy little stalker. It’s hard writing in a unrelated third person’s point of view without making them noisy as hell.


	3. Soft Touches

“Where are we going again?” Alexandria asked as she made a sharp left turn, slamming a fist down onto the car horn. She bit her tongue in an attempt to keep herself from hollering profanity at the dumbass who was about to cut her off on the highway.

“U-um... Just Hollywood U,” Jane stammered, laughing nervously. She tightened her grip on the overhead car handle and them mumbled, “For someone so soft-spoken and shy, you sure have some serious driving skills.”

Alexandria flashed her a distracted smile. “Thanks,” she beamed. “I get it from my dad.” Tires squealing, she made another sharp turn and pulled up into one of the various parking lots at the university. “Alright, we’re here,” she said cheerfully.

“Wow,” Jane said, swallowing hard as she checked her phone. “Fifteen minutes, that’s a record.” She reached backwards and grabbed a large bag from the backseat.

“I try,” she answered seriously as they made their way out of the car. “Back home, I was called the _She-Devil of the Road.”_

Jane gave her a funny look, staring at her from the corner of her eyes but didn’t comment. Instead, she lead the young manager onto the campus, maneuvering them expertly through the various buildings. Alexandria looked around at the crisp white building and its expensive decorations in awe. When she was younger, she had dreamed of attending this exact university but the lack of funding had prevented it from happening.

The young actress paused just in front of the door, taking a second to smooth down any wrinkles in her dress. She opened the door before Alexandria could read the name tag. The young manager shyly stepped into the well-lit office just behind Jane and looked up.

Her mouth fell open.

“Jane!” Thomas Hunt said, standing up from behind his desk. His wide eyes flickered into her direction and then back to Jane before narrowing. “Do you have an appointment?”

Jane scoffed. “I don’t need an appointment to see your ass. Who do you think you are?” She reached back and pulled Alexandria further into the room. “This is Alexandria Morgan, my manager,” she introduced. “And Alex, this is Thomas—”

 _“—Hunt!”_ Alexandria interrupted with a high-pitched squeak. She _knew_ this man; everyone who was anyone in the celebrity world _knew_ this man. He was the one actor that every director wanted to work with, the one model that every photographer wanted a chance with, the one director that every screenwriter wanted to use. And then, Alexandria realized with heart-pounding shock that he was also the very same Thomas that— _“Oh my god!_ On your phone, you list him as—” she cut herself off, covering her mouth with both hands.

 _Thomas Hunt_ was the man Jane was exchanging insults with?

Hunt’s eyes flickered in Jane’s direction, narrowing. “You list me as _what_ on your phone?”

Jane fell asleep listening to _Thomas Hunt’s_ breathing?

 _“Asshole,”_ Jane answered in a slow, teasing tone. Her lips quirked up in obvious amusement and Alexandria felt her knees shook in fear for the young actress. The audacity! The bravery!

 _Thomas Hunt_ was Jane’s maybe—sort of—kind of boyfriend?

Hunt closed his eyes and breathed out harshly through his nose and for a moment Alexandria felt he was going to start yelling. Instead, he just snapped his eyes open again and glared. “It’s better than Tommy Boy,” he muttered at last.

Jane shrugged.

“And you did get rid of that ridiculous ringtone, right?”

She laughed. “Which one? _I’m Too Sexy_ by Right Said Fred or _Like a Virgin_ by Madonna?”

“Both!” he snapped and then sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with two practiced fingers and sunk back down into his seat. “Why are you here?”

Jane smiled and made her way further into the room, seating herself comfortably on the chair across from his desk. “Well, your birthday’s in a week but I won’t be here since I’ll be filming some stupid movie for Anders Stone in England, no thanks to you. I thought I would stop by and give you your birthday present early.” She reached into the large bag she was holding and pulled out a small, perfectly wrapped present and set it on the desk between them.

“What is it?” Hunt asked, giving the package a suspicious look. With the way the two of them exchanged insults and subtle threats, Alexandria couldn’t blame him.

Jane rolled her eyes. “Viagra, for your performance issues, obviously.” She crossed her legs and interlocked her fingers together, resting her hand on top of her stomach. “How old are you now, anyway? Sixty-three? Sixty-four?”

Hunt threw a panicked expression in Alexandria’s direction. “Jane!” he hissed out in warning. Alexandria took it as her cue to sink into the shadows of an isolated corner and pull out her cellphone, pretending that she had an incoming message that she had to answer. Right now.

“I’m kidding,” Jane said, laughing. She scooted her chair up and leaned over the desk, towards him. She brought her elbows up onto the desk and rested her chin comfortably on the back of her hands. “Just open it, would you?”

Sighing softly, Hunt took the package off his desk and carefully began to unwrap it. He moved slowly and precisely, making sure not to rip the delicate wrapping paper. He finally unwrapped the present, moments later, revealing an expensive navy-blue tie that Alexandria knew Jane had purchased earlier that week. Hunt ran his fingers over the thin silver-white strips crisscrossing near the end of the tie and looked up at Jane, an amused smile playing across his lips.

“I also got you a matching sterling silver tie clip,” Jane pointed out. “Got it custom engraved, too.”

He reached over and picked it up, raising an eyebrow. “A masquerade mask,” he commented.

She smiled. “Is it? I thought I asked for an infinity symbol.”

They stared at each other silently and Alexandria pulled herself deeper into her own private corner of the office, still pretending to be scrolling through her phone. She could _not_ believe that _Thomas Hunt,_ of all people, was in a sort of—maybe?—kind of relationship with Jane.

Jane stood up, never breaking eye contact. “Come on, get up. I’ll help you put on the tie.”

“I’m already wearing one,” Hunt pointed out.

Jane rolled her eyes again. “Don’t be difficult.”

“You’re the one who’s being difficult,” he immediately replied but there was no bite in his tone. Despite his words, he obeyed anyway, pushing back his chair as he stood up. He watched Jane with a soft look in his eyes Alexandria has only seen in movies as she made her way around his desk and towards him. Jane stepped confidently into his personal space, closer to him than it was required of her to help him put on a tie.

Bringing her hands up, Jane began to undo the knots of his current tie, fingers working slowly and her eyes never leaving his. The moment seemed so private that Alexandria had a feeling that they had forgotten she was still in the room with them. Hunt closed his eyes and sighed softly as Jane slipped his tie off him, the pad of her thumb brushing purposely against the skin of his neck.

Then, her gaze still not leaving his form, Jane reached over to his desk and grabbed the tie she had gotten him. She slipped it around his neck and leaned even closer to him. Working in the same slow motions, she took her time with each loop, making sure that everything was perfect. Finally, she picked up the small silver tie clip and slipped it on before giving it a fond pat. “There,” she said, her voice a low whisper. “All done.”

He hummed under his breath. “Where did you learn how to tie a Eldredge knot?”

“Youtube,” she answered, a small smile working at the edges of her lips. And then, for a moment, they stood in silence like that, savoring their close contact with each other. “I should get going,” Jane finally whispered.

Hunt cleared his throat. “How long will you be in England?” he asked.

“Two months.”

Alexandria watched sharply from the corner of her eyes as Hunt rested a hand on Jane’s bare arms and leaned towards her only to stop as if remembering that they were not alone in his office. Alexandria felt her face flame up in embarrassment and she furiously pretended to scroll through her phone. Again. She had a feeling that she was intruding in on some serious private moment but if she left the room now, she would just make things more awkward.

Hunt and Jane simply looked at each other, communicating silently in a language she was not privy to. She watched as Jane leaned even closer, closing her eyes as if wanting to etch the moment into her memories. Either that or she was pretending Alexandria wasn’t in the room with them. Finally, Jane’s eyes fluttered open and she took a step back, flashing Hunt a smile that Alexandria couldn’t read.

“Come on, Alex,” Jane murmured, stepping away and giving her shoulder a soft tap.

“Right, of course. Coming!” she responded, head snapping up, pretending to just notice Jane’s presence. And this is why she’ll never be an actress. She nodded her farewells to Thomas Hunt who didn’t react before following Jane out the door. But just as they stepped through the doorway, Alexandria turned her head just in time to see Hunt close his hand—the same hand that was touching Jane’s arm earlier—into a tight fist and let out a shaky breath.

“Jane,” she blurted out, unable to help herself as soon as the doors to Hunt’s office closed behind them. “Are you... are you and Thomas Hunt in a relationship?”

Jane blinked slowly and looked at her, staring silently. Finally she shook her head and gave her a sad kind of smile. “No,” she answered. “No, we’re not.”


	4. Breakdown

**_Masters of Death: Romance Offset?_ **

_Costars, Jane Doe and Richard Johnson who play enemies in the much awaited movie,_ Masters of Death _were seen together, off camera for what is possibly a more-than-friendly dinner. Various sources have confirmed that the two young stars have a chemistry onset like no other. Is it possible that we’re seeing the beginning of a new romantic—_

“You’re still reading that trash?” Jane asked.

Alexandria looked up and smiled. “Did you know American tabloids published the exact same article that England published a month ago?” She stuffed a piece of grapefruit into her mouth only to wince at how sour it was. “You would think they have their own writers?”

Throwing herself gracelessly onto the couch next to her manager, Jane let out an exaggerated sigh. “Romantic relationship, my ass,” she grumbled before pulling out her cellphone from her back pocket. “It was the least romantic dinner of my life.”

Alexandria laughed at Jane’s almost bitter tone and held up the magazine teasingly. “Look at you two,” she cooed, tapping the photo. “Jane and Rick cuddling over a romantic, candlelit dinner,” she read, eyeing the short blurb in amusement.

Jane glanced at the photograph with mock annoyance. The photograph had obviously been taken from behind a bush; the lighting was bad and the image was blurred but it showed Jane and Richard leaning towards each other over a lit candle. Jane’s half-lidded stare—which, in reality, was directed at the plate of karasumi on the table—had given celebrity news stations the story of a lifetime. All of sudden, the dinner was a date, she was in love, and Jane and Rick were meant to be.

All for the better, since the dinner was more or less a publicity stunt; Anders Stone needed a way to promote his movie and forcing the two costars out to dinner in an expensive restaurant, under the starry night sky was the way to go. Everyone ate it up. “You know,” Jane said to Alexandria after glaring at her cellphone. “The night was so damn cold, Rick and I fought over who had the right to hold their hands over the candle.”

Giggling at the mental image, Alexandria tossed the magazine to the side and leaned against Jane. “He lives in England, you live in America, and you guys have only been to one dinner. Do you think anyone seriously thinks the two of you are dating?”

Jane narrows her eyes, silent for a moment. “At least one person does,” she finally muttered in a dark voice.

“Hmm?”

Jane tilted her phone so Alexandria could better view the screen. “This asshole’s been avoiding my calls and he’s barely texted back since the first article came out.”

Alexandria paused.

 _Ah,_ she thought. So this was it. For the past month, she had noticed that Jane has been acting a bit differently but she could never put her finger on exactly what was wrong with the actress. She should have expected it had something to do with Hunt. Only the retired celebrity could have such a long-term influence on Jane’s behavior. She glanced down at the phone, skimming through the latest texts.

 _I’m back in LA,_ Jane had last typed, probably earlier that morning when their plane had landed.

 _Welcome back,_ Hunt had responded, it was time-stamped ten minutes ago.

Alexandria frowned in confusion. “He’s being... rather... nice,” she finally said, hesitantly.

“And that’s the problem,” Jane responded, her jaws clenching. “He’s never nice to me. I don’t _want_ him to be nice to me.” She sniffed softly and reached up to rub her nose.

For a moment, Alexandria felt a sharp, twisting sort of pain in her gut. Jane almost seemed like she was going to cry and Alexandria didn’t even have the faintest idea how she could go about comforting the young actress. Actually, she was pretty sure no one knew how to comfort someone who was upset that their sort of—kind of—boyfriend was being _nice_ to them.

“He might just be jealous,” she tried, reaching out to stroke Jane’s back in a hopefully comforting manner.

Jane sniffed. “You think so?”

Alexandria panicked. “W-well,” she stammered. “Of course I do! Why else would he start distancing himself just when the article came out?” The problem with the entire situation, she realized, was that Jane and Hunt didn’t have the typical relationship. If they were anyone else, Alexandria would be sure that was the case but with Jane and Hunt...

For a moment, Jane remained silent, her jaw working as she considered the possibility. “I hope so,” she finally murmured with a quiet sigh. Her eyes flickered and Alexandria had a feeling that Jane knew _exactly_ why Hunt was avoiding her. She just didn’t want to admit it. Or confirm it. Or do anything that would make whatever Jane was thinking _real._

“We should go to bed,” Alexandria said, attempting to distract Jane. “You have an early shoot tomorrow and it’s already midnight.”

Jane shook her head. “You go on ahead, I think I’m going to sit here a while longer.”

Alexandria frowned worriedly. “Are you sure?”

Looking down at her cellphone, Jane gave her a single, distracted nod.

* * *

 

Alexandria woke up sometime around three in the morning, needing to use the bathroom. She grumbled underneath her breath, vowing to herself that she was never going to drink or eat fruit before bed ever again. There was a small sniffling-like noise just as she passed by the living room. She paused, blinking sleepy eyes into the darkness.

Poking her head through the living room doorway, she looked around and could just make out Jane’s faint outline on the couch, illuminated by the city lights shining through the window. “Jane?” she called out softly as she made her way towards the small, shaking figure. It hit her like a ton of bricks that Jane was crying.

Jane was crying.

Jane was _crying._

 _Jane_ was crying.

Since she had first met the young actress, Jane had been nothing but confident and strong. This was the first time she had seen her look so small and vulnerable. Before now, Alexandria wouldn’t even have thought it was possible. Jane had always been so... _untouchable_ , she didn’t think anything—not even Hunt—could change that.

Apparently she was wrong.

Moving slowly so not to startle her, Alexandria sat down next to Jane. “Jane?” she tried again. “Are you alright?”

Jane raised her head slowly, her eyes large and watery. She really was crying. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, reaching up to wipe the tears from her cheeks. “Did I wake you?”

Still slightly in shock, Alexandria could only shake her head in denial. She ignored the pressure pressing down on her bladder and instead, reached out to place a hand on Jane’s shivering thighs. “What happened?” she asked softly.

Jane sniffed, a wet, nasally noise that made them both wince. She handed Alexandria her cellphone and turned her gaze away, not wanting to look at it. “I almost wish he was jealous instead,” she muttered bitterly.

Oh.

Oh, dear.

Alexandria took in a slow breath and hesitantly pressed the power button, lighting up the phone. She grimaced as a large text box immediately filled up the screen. No matter the relationship, large text boxes meant one thing and one thing only: arguments. She scrolled up, wanting a bit of context before tackling the monster text box.

 _That’s it!_ Jane had texted. _If you’re going to avoid my calls and grace me with one-word text messages, I’m going to visit you and force you to talk to me. Even if I have to interrupt you in the middle of your class._

Hunt had texted back the same minute. _Jane, don’t do that,_ he had responded. And when Jane didn’t respond, he texted again a few minutes later:

 _I do not want to ignore you,_ he had typed and Alexandria could almost imagine his voice reading the message in that odd, soothing voice of his that only presented itself around Jane. _But you are wasting your time on a relationship that does nothing for you. You no longer need me at this point in your career, Jane; I do not have the resources nor the associates to help you. You have grown beyond me as I have always known you would. If you want to be the best there is, which I know you can be, there is no need for you to keep things or people that will not benefit you. I am one of these people, Richard Johnson is not. Spread your wings and fly, Jane. Do not let me tie you down._

Alexandria put the phone down slowly, throat working as she attempted to swallow. She glanced over at Jane from the corner of her eyes, wondering what she could say. Everything was so much more complicated than she thought, she realized. The unfortunate thing, however, was that Alexandria could see where Hunt was coming from. It broke her heart to realize that not only was Hunt aware of Jane’s feelings for him, he returned her affections and so obviously _wanted_ to pursue a relationship.

But he was right.

As her old professor, their relationship would cause a scandal that could potentially destroy Jane’s career. And if _that_ wasn’t bad enough, as a retired celebrity, he had nothing that could be advantageous to her. Besides his feelings, of course, but feelings are such fickle things.

Alexandria closed her eyes, remembering the text messages, the late night phone calls, their silent way of communicating with each other and felt like crying herself. “Just give him some time,” Alexandria tried. “I _can_ see where he’s coming from,” she admitted slowly but then quickly added: “But if you just give him some time to cool down, I’m sure—”

“No.”

The strength behind Jane’s cold, almost emotionless voice surprised her. “J-Jane?”

Jane took a deep breath and shook her head. “I can’t,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I can’t keep doing this.”

Suddenly, Alexandria was afraid; afraid for Hunt, afraid for Jane, afraid for their future. If this continued, they wouldn’t _have_ a future. She knew Jane well enough to know that once Jane makes up her mind about something, that was it. There would be no turning back. Alexandria opened her mouth to say something but no words came out. She didn’t know what to say. What _could_ she say? What right did she have to say anything?

“I’ve liked him since my freshmen year, you know?” Jane said softly. “And I was pretty sure he liked me too so I tried pursuing it but... it never happened, obviously.” She sniffed again. “I thought that maybe after I graduated, he would be more open to the idea but... but...” She swallowed hard, glancing at her phone. “Well, obviously it didn’t work either.”

“Jane...”

She watched as Jane’s eyes hardened and realized that _this was it_. “I already wasted enough time chasing after him,” said Jane, her tone surprising cool and smooth. “I’m not going to waste anymore time waiting for him. I _can’t_ afford wasting any more time on him; I have wings to spread and a world to conquer.”

There was an almost bitter bite in her tone at the end and Alexandria wondered if maybe, this wasn’t the first time Hunt had mentioned something like this to her. “But Jane,” she tried again. “It wouldn’t be a waste of time.” She wanted to tell her how there was a spark in her eyes whenever Hunt texted her, how she practically _glowed_ in his presence, how he _was_ her wings but Jane’s eyes were cold, reflecting light like steel and Alexandria knew it would be of no use.

This was it; Jane had made up her mind.

And there would be no turning back.

Her heart broke in Jane’s place and she watched with teary eyes as Jane stood up, her knees shaking just the slightest. “I’m going to go to bed,” Jane told her softly and Alexandria could only nod slowly, her response automatic and stiff. She watched as Jane retreated, Jane’s cellphone still resting in her hand glowing dimly in the darkness as if mocking her.

 _Oh Jane,_ she thought. _We are not so different, after all._

* * *

 

She was wrong.

Jane’s brief moment of weakness had caught her so off guard that it made her forget all about the strength that made up the actress’ entire being. Much to her surprise, Jane woke up the next morning acting like nothing had happened; she was all bright-eyed and easy smiles. If it wasn’t for the slight swelling and redness around Jane’s eyes, Alexandria would have thought she dreamed the entire thing up.

She was floored by Jane’s strength, floored by Jane’s will of steel, floored by her quick bounce back. And she wished... she wished... she had even just a _sliver_ of her power.

To everyone else, there was nothing wrong with Jane and Jane proceeded to continue this act for the next month. At first, Alexandria thought that maybe Jane was just a really good actress—she _knew_ Jane was a really good actress—and was hiding a wave of rejection and hurt behind dazzling smiles and tinkling laughter but as time went on, she realized that it was very possible that Jane had gotten over Hunt.

“I don’t understand how you can be so strong,” Alexandria told her.

“Hmm?”

“Rejection,” she elaborated, unable to help herself even though part of her was screaming not to bring the subject up. “You said that you’ve been pursuing and waiting for him since your freshmen year; that’s _such_ a long time. How can you just let him reject you like that and... and... move on the next day as if nothing happened?” She blinked back tears, trying not to remember her own rejection all those years ago; the same rejection that had shattered her world, ripping her from everything she knew, and sent her on a road of something she had no real interest in.

Jane blinked wide eyes as she slowly took in Alexandria’s words. Finally she sighed and looked down at her lap, fiddling with her hands as she thought over her next words. “I’m really not as strong as you think I am,” she said slowly, carefully. “But I’ve waited and I’ve tried; I’ve already wasted enough time doing that, I can’t waste anymore time mourning over it.” She flashed her a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “All I can do right now is nurse my broken heart—” She snickered at her own wording. “—take care of myself, and move forward.”

Alexandria stared. _This_ was the strength she was lacking, she realized. The strength to be rejected and still wanting to move forward. “Jane,” she whispered, feeling her heart break for her. For herself.

“Jane!” the director called out, interrupting the moment. “Go get your make-up touched up. You’re back on in twenty!”

“Yes, sir!” the actress called out, her voice light and cheerful. She turned back to her manager and eyed her, contemplating. “If you want,” she said slowly, “we can talk later, all right?”

Alexandria nodded numbly, realizing that Jane had caught onto Alexandria’s _own_ rejection. With a stomach-dropping feeling, she wondered if she was ready to talk about it. After all, she thought jealously, she didn’t have Jane’s strength.

Slowly, Alexandria realized that Jane’s greatest strength wasn’t her independence, or even her ability to take rejection and bounce back. Oh no. She hadn’t actually believed it when Jane told her before but she realized that’s Jane’s ultimate strength was her ability to hide her feelings. If Jane hadn’t revealed to her that she was still affected by Hunt’s rejection, she never would have suspected. There were subtle changes in her behavior, Alexandria observed, that confirmed it.

Changes that made Alexandria feel that Jane was missing part of herself.

Jane was still polite and kind to those around her, quick-tongued and strong-willed to those that deserved it but the witty, fun-loving, sassy part of Jane had completely disappeared. Alexandria had wondered if it was because Jane lacked a worthy opponent but ultimately decided that wasn’t the case. Jane was missing a spark in her eyes, a spark that only Hunt could bring out, it seemed.

But the most startling change of all, Alexandria thought, was the fact that Jane had changed Hunt’s contact name in her phone from _‘Asshole’_ to _‘Thomas Hunt’._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is like a Reminiscence AU; I have no imagination.


	5. Beautiful Mornings

“How do I look?” Jane asked the moment Alexandria stepped into the condo.

The young manager pulled back slightly in surprise. She blinked a couple of times before running her gaze up and down Jane’s form. “You look amazing!” Alexandria immediately complimented and it was true because Jane was downright _gorgeous._ Her hair was piled on top of her head in a loose bun and she was wearing a new silver-white dress she had just bought the other day. Alexandria blinked suddenly, heart hammering at the possibility. “Jane, are you going out on a date?” she asked.

 _Finally,_ she thought. After three months of complete silence—not even a mention of his name—they were actually getting somewhere.

Jane smiled prettily and turned towards the mirror to fix her already perfect hair. “Just dinner,” she answered happily, “with Chris.”

Alexandria froze. “Chris?” she repeated slowly; it wasn’t exactly the name she was expecting to hear. _“Chris Winters?”_ It was the only Chris she knew for a fact that Jane was familiar with on a personal level.

Jane threw her a funny look. “Well,” she replied, just as slowly. “It’s unfortunately not Chris _Hemsworth.”_ Turning back towards the mirror, Jane went back to fixing her hair, making sure every strand was in place. “Chris finally just got back after—what?—six months? So we decided it’ll be nice to catch up over dinner.”

“Like a dinner date?” she pressed, trying to keep the almost-horrified squeak out of her voice.

At that, Jane looked startled. But then, much to Alexandria’s surprise, the actress blushed slightly, looking a bit pleased. “Is it too much?” Jane asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and looked over herself in the mirror once again.

Alexandria shook her head slowly, moving on autopilot. “No, not at all,” she attempted to assure, which was hard to do since her mind was still whirling with the fact that Jane was going to eat dinner with someone that wasn’t Hunt. What the hell happened to Hunt? She tilted her head and tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. “Is there a specific look you’re going for?”

Jane blinked. “No,” she immediately responded. “It’s just dinner between two friends.”

 _Dinner between two friends, my ass!_ Alexandria thought in horror. She knew Jane always dressed the best—so well, in fact, she had her own section in a fashion magazine despite not being in the fashion industry. Jane wore clothes like a professional model, always looking ready to take over the world. But with the low-cut dress and the amount of work she had obviously put into her make-up and hair, if this wasn’t a date, Alexandria didn’t know what it was.

“Anyway,” Jane was saying. “I’ll probably be out late so don’t wait up.”

It was only a little after three in the afternoon; how late was Jane going to stay out? “I won’t,” she responded in a faint voice, still reacting on autopilot.

Jane nodded and gave her a wave goodbye. “See ya,” she chirped cheerfully and was gone.

Still in shock, Alexandria found herself rooted to the same spot for the next several seconds wondering what the hell just happened. Then, very slowly she made her way into the living room and sank down onto couch. _“Chris Winters?”_ she mouthed to herself. _“Chris Winters?”_ She knew the two young heartthrobs were somewhat friends with each other; they had always greeted each other familiarly when they met but this was the first time Jane had even hinted at a more-than-platonic relationship with the man.

Alexandria sighed, lost in her thoughts. Despite her slight misgivings, she had to admit that with his good looks, kind personality, and current status in the celebrity world, he was _perfect_ for Jane.

But...

But...

“What about Hunt?” she whispered to herself, feeling more confused than she thought possible. Since Jane had made up her mind about getting over Hunt, Alexandria had always assumed that the two of them just needed more time to settle everything. She knew Jane was stubborn but she also knew how deep her feelings went for her old professor.

Groaning, Alexandria ran a hand through her hair in frustration, shaking it around just a little. “Okay,” she finally said. “It’s none of my business.” If Jane was going to move her attentions from Hunt to Chris than Alexandria would make sure to support her. Even if she did think Hunt was better for her than anyone else could ever be.

Was the quick-tongued, sassy, fun-loving part of Jane destined to disappear forever?

She gave her head a slight shake and reminded herself that she was already nosy enough as it was and Jane’s love life had nothing to do with her. And she should not interfere, damn it! Alexandria sighed and tossed her head back, laying it down on the couch and closed her eyes.

 _Oh Jane,_ was her last thought before she fell asleep, her tiring day having finally caught up with her.

She woke up a couple hours later to the sound of a door closing. Alexandria immediately sat up with an alarmed squeak, whipping around to face the source of the noise only to find herself staring at a wide-eyed Jane. “Oh!” she exclaimed, equally wide-eyed with shock. “You scared me!”

“You scared _me!”_ Jane snapped. “You’re the one rising up from the couch it’s your coffin or something.” She huffed, blowing a strand of hair away from her face. “I thought I told you that you didn’t have to wait up.”

“I didn’t,” she protested. “I fell asleep on the couch!” Placing a hand over her chest, Alexandria looked down and checked her watch. She took a double-take. “It’s only seven?” she asked, surprised. “I thought you would be out later than that.”

Jane paused for a brief moment before clearing her throat in an uncomfortable manner. She shuffled uneasily on her feet and inched her way to the couch, settling herself down on the opposite end. “Um,” she began, looking thoughtful. “Well, it was fun while it lasted.”

Alexandria frowned in concern. “What happened?” she asked. “You guys weren’t chased by the paparazzis, were you?”

“No,” Jane said, barking out an amused laugh. She dismissed the thought with a nonchalant wave of her hand. “Of course not.”

“So what exactly—” she cut herself off and for the first time since she woke up, really took in Jane’s appearance. Dulled and slightly smudged lipstick, loose and messy hair, rumbled clothing, Jane looked as if she had just been— “Oh my god,” Alexandria squeaked, bringing up a hand as if to cover her mouth. But she knew it was no use. “You made out with him, didn’t you?”

Jane coughed. “Um.”

“You. Made. Out. With. Chris. Winters!” she squealed, unable to help herself. Grabbing a pillow from the couch, she threw it at Jane in mock anger. “You told me it wasn’t a date!”

“It _wasn’t_ a date!”

Alexandria scoffed; it may have not started out as a date but it most certainly ended up as one. “So you guys didn’t make out?” she asked in a flat voice.

For a moment, Jane could only stare into her manager’s knowing eyes, mouth opening and closing. Then, with a groan, she sighed and brought her feet onto the coach. “We did,” she finally admitted, tucking her chin between her knees and chest.

Alexandria blinked.

Well then.

_Well._

“So,” she asked slowly. “Are you guys...”

“No!” Jane immediately protested. And then, at Alexandria’s look of disbelief, she added, “It wasn’t like that.” Realizing that her manager was waiting for some sort of explanation, she sighed and buried her face into her knees. “It wasn’t like that,” she repeated in a soft mumble, her brows knitted together.

“Jane?”

“He asked me out.”

_“And?”_

“And what?” Jane asked, obviously stalling.

Alexandria raised her eyebrows mockingly, wondering where all her acting skills went. “And what did you say?”

Jane pursed her lips, thinking. “I told him no,” she finally answered. “Because I don’t like him like that.” She hesitated. “At least I don’t think I do.”

 _Of course you don’t, dear,_ she thought. Especially not compared to the way she acted around Hunt. There was no comparison; no matter how strongly she felt for someone else, Alexandria doubted that such feelings could hold a candle to her feelings for Hunt. “But?” she pressed.

“But,” Jane sighed, rolling her eyes, “but he said that he really liked me and asked if I could give us a try. He also said that it was even good for publicity; the two celebrity heartthrobes of the decade, going out with each other.” She sniffed, embarrassed. “Then he kissed me.”

“And you kissed him back.”

Jane pursed her lips again, frowning. “Yes.”

She narrowed her eyes in alarm, realizing the mental thoughts running through Jane’s head. “You’re considering this,” she whispered, heart pounding. “You’re actually considering this.” She swallowed hard, her mind whirling. What about Hunt? Had Jane seriously erased Hunt from her mind as she had said she would?

“I like Chris,” Jane said slowly. “He’s nice to me. And I had a really good time tonight... before... well, before things got awkward.” She sighed, dropping her legs again to smooth down her dress. “I mean... he’s also right about the publicity thing. And even if it has to start out with us going out just for the publicity, I’m sure—”

“No!” Alexandria interrupted.

Jane jumped. “Alex!”

“Sorry! It’s just, you can’t do that!” Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized that she was interfering again but she couldn’t allow her to give herself up like that. Not Jane. Not when she herself had— “I’m saying this as your manager.”

“As my manager,” the movie star repeated slowly. “You do realize that managers want their charges to become more famous, right? Not the other way around?” She gave her an unreadable look. “You don’t make a very good manager.”

She froze.

“No,” Alexandria finally replied, a bit sadly. “I’m not, am I?” Pushing that particular thought to the back of her mind, she looked up and brightened. “As your friend then! Don’t go out with him just for the publicity. I know a lot of people are doing that these days but... but...” She trailed off, unsure how to put her thoughts into words.

Jane laughed and reached out to pat Alexandria affectionately on the leg. “All right, all right. I’ll take your word for it. Besides, I don’t think it’ll ever work out between Chris and I. I do enjoy being around him but I feel like we’re missing this... this...”

 _Spark,_ Alexandria finished.

“Anyway,” Jane said with a yawn as she stood up and stretched, her joints cracking as she did so. “I’m going to take a shower. I feel icky all over.” She paused at the doorway and turned around again. “Alex?”

Alexandria blinked. “Yea?”

“You may not be a good manager,” Jane said with a smile. “But you’re a really good friend.”

She smiled back. “Thank you.”

Alexandria waited until Jane left the room completely before sinking back into the couch with a groan. She had just done the one thing she had told herself not to do; she had went ahead and interfered with a life that was not her own. More specifically, Jane’s life. Alexandria had no doubt in her mind that given time, Jane would really be happy with Chris but...

But...

Even Jane knew it herself, there was no _spark._

And Jane was not completely Jane without that spark. Sighing, Alexandria pulled out her cellphone and scrolled through her contacts until she came upon the one she was looking for. Alexandria took a deep breath and closed her eyes, going through a mental list of pros and cons. Jane was a good actress, possibly even one of the best but she had a feeling that her desire to go out with Chris coincided with her desire to get over Hunt. “I’m doing a good thing,” she muttered to herself. “I’m doing a good thing.” With that in mind, she typed a message into her phone with slightly shaky hands. She forced herself to press send before she could change her mind.

_Jane misses you._

* * *

 

At exactly ten-fifteen, the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it!” she called out as she made her way towards the door. She opened it slowly, not needing to look through the peephole to know exactly who it was.

They stared at each other silently for a moment.

Finally, Alex smiled. “She’s in her room right now,” she said softly.

Hunt nodded.

* * *

 

Alex woke up the next morning feeling—hoping—that she had finally done something _good_ in her life. It had taken all her will to not press her ear against Jane’s door but since she hadn’t heard yelling or screaming from her room, Alex could only assume there was a good outcome. Climbing out of bed, she threw on a tank-top over her nude, goosebump covered body and slipped on her lucky panties.

Taking a deep breath, she poked her head out her doorway to make sure Jane wasn’t standing nearby with a knife or something. She breathed a sigh of relief and then blinked in surprise when she realized she could smell breakfast cooking.

 _Oh my,_ she thought. Alex knew for a fact now that she most definitely did the right thing. If Jane had woken up by herself before noon _and_ was cooking breakfast, she must have been in a _really_ good mood.

She tiptoed out of her room, the wooden floor cold against her bare feel. She _really_ needed to invest in some slippers. Wanting to keep as little skin touching the cold floor as possible, Alex half danced-half skipped her way down the hall.

“Good morning!” she announced, stepping into the opened kitchen/dining room. “You’re sure up early—”

She froze.

Hunt spun around,s taring with wide, surprised eyes. He was half naked and still holding onto the pan of what smelled like bacon. The entire visual would have been hilarious if Alex wasn’t in such a big shock.

“I—I—uh—g-good morning!” she squeaked.

Hunt opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, but he didn’t say anything.

Then, suddenly realizing her state of dress—or rather, her state of _undress_ —Alexandria let out a muffled, half-strangled scream. “Excuse me!” she squawked, turning around and sprinting her way back down the hall towards her room only to encounter Jane on her way.

“Alex? Are you—”

“Be back in a few!” she interrupted, slipping into her room and slamming the door behind her. Breathing hard, she leaned against her door and stuffed a knuckle into her mouth to muffle her scream. She could still feel the pounding of her heart and the blood roaring in her ears even as she took in deep, calming breaths, attempting to calm herself down. Blinking rapidly, she allowed herself a moment to register what just happened.

Hunt spent the night.

Alex inhaled sharply and reached up to cover her mouth with both hands.

_Hunt spent the night!_

Burying her face into her hands, Alex couldn’t help but squeal excitedly; she really, really, _really_ did something right! Not only had Hunt spent the night, he was half-naked and Alex could clearly remember the hickeys that littered his neck area, its dark color contrasting greatly against his light skin.

Hunt!

Hickeys!

Clearing her throat and feeling a bit embarrassed at how she was acting, Alex made her way towards her closet. Unfortunately, she realized, because of how well everything had turned out, she would probably have to start looking for her own place now. There was no need for a repeat of what just happened. Humming, she pulled out a large over-sized shirt and slipped it on.

Exhaling deeply one last time, she tiptoed back out into the hall. She could hear Hunt’s voice from the kitchen and pressed herself against the wall, listening in, unable to help herself.

“I can’t _believe_ you didn’t tell me she was living with you,” Hunt hissed, his voice rough but quiet.

“What does it matter?” Jan replied normally, obviously not caring. “She was just as surprised seeing you so it’s not like she heard us last night—”

_“Jane!”_

Alexandria colored as Jane laughed, the sound light and carefree and she could almost picture the spark in Jane’s eye.

“Come on,” Jane said. “You promised you’ll make me breakfast and your bacon’s burning to a crisp.”

“I like it burnt,” Hunt mumbled.

Feeling that it was a good place to make her presence known, Alex stepped into the room, making sure to make as much noise as possible. “Good morning,” she greeted, taking slow and steady breaths to keep herself remaining calm. She swallowed hard and nodded apologetically in Hunt direction, happy to see that he had a shirt on again. “I’m sorry about this morning.”

“It’s my fault,” he responded, glaring at Jane, letting them know exactly whose fault he really thought it was.

“Breakfast?” Jane asked, easily ignoring him.

Alex looked at her and smiled. “Sounds great,” she replied, feeling satisfied and happy.

They settled around the dining table, filling their plates with the breakfast Hunt had made. At first, it was as if it were two acquaintances eating breakfast together but Alex knew that with the two of them, she needed to look beyond the obvious. Taking her time to observe, she began noticing a subtle exchange of soft looks and whispering touches being exchanged between the two. Jane sipped her tea, eyes darting in Hunt’s direction, making sure he was not looking at her before she stole a piece of well-cooked bacon from his plate.

“How did you sleep?” Jane asked, slipping a burnt bacon onto his plate.

Alex blinked. “Perfectly fine,” she answered slowly before taking a sip of her orange juice.

“See?” Jane said to Hunt. “Told you.”

Alex coughed, almost choking as Hunt turned, returning to glare in Jane’s direction. She cleared her throat, trying to pretend she had no idea what was going on. True to Jane’s personality, she was the only one not feeling the least bit awkward about the situation. “How did you sle—” she trailed off, eyes darting in Hunt’s direction for a second and then corrected herself: “—was your night?”

“Good.”

Alex nodded, chewing her scrambled eggs thoughtfully and watched as Jane wrinkle her nose at the burnt bacon on her plate. Hunt immediately moved to take it off her plate after passing her half a slice of buttered toast. _Ah,_ Alex thought. It was moments like this she knew words were not needed to convey their feelings.

 _Such a beautiful morning,_ she thought happily. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Extra:**
> 
> **“Congratulations!” Alex squealed, patting Hunt on the back joyfully despite his sour expression. She showed him Jane’s phone and beamed. “You’re ‘Asshole’ again!”**


	6. Downward Spiral

Her phone was ringing and Alex wanted it to stop.

Groaning, she rolled over in her bed, hand leaving the warmth of her blankets and fumbled around, feeling for her cellphone she knew was resting somewhere on her end table. After a couple seconds of useless fumbling, she groaned again and forced herself in to a half upright position. Alex poked her head out of her blankets and snatched her phone up, glaring at the screen, her sleepy mind barely registering the onslaught of text messages.

She blinked.

 _What the devil?_ Alex thought. Had someone died or something? Wiggling herself so she was sitting up higher on her bed, Alex skimmed through her messages lazily. And when her sleepy brain finally registered what the messages were saying, she immediately felt her stomach drop, any remaining feelings of sleepiness fleeing.

“Oh no,” she whispered in horror. “Oh no, oh no, oh no.”

Jumping out of her bed, Alex ran around her room, throwing on clothes without a care. Abandoning her usual morning routine, she rushed out of her apartment and stopped by a nearby news stand. She bought a magazine, famous for its celebrity gossip and then made a beeline straight for her car. _This is not good, not good at all,_ she thought as connected her phone to its bluetooth and hooked the small device around her ear.

“Come on,” Alex whispered after dialing Jane’s number. “Pick up, pick up, pick up!”

It was only a little after seven in the morning so Alex wasn’t surprised that Jane wasn’t picking up her phone, she was probably still asleep. The young star had an unfortunate habit of putting her phone on vibrate before going to bed. And being such a heavy sleeper, Alex knew there was no way for her to wake Jane up without physically being there.

Perhaps she should try calling Hunt instead?

Alex froze. And then shuddered violently. What a horrifying thought.

Thankfully, due to her driving skills, Alex managed to reach Jane’s condo building in ten minutes rather than the half hour it would take other people. Peeking out her car window, she was relieved to see that the paparazzis weren’t gathered around outside like she had expected. Alex parked her car, grabbed all her necessities and hopped out. As she made her way towards the building, she tried one last time to reach Jane through her cellphone but it was clear Jane wasn’t going to pick up.

Not wanting to wake up any neighbors, Alex dug out her spare key and let herself in. “Jane?” she called out as she stepped into the condo. “Jane, you awake?” The lack of answer did not surprise her and Alex made her way towards Jane’s room. “Jane?” she called out again, knocking on her door.

She heard a muffled grumble and some cursing before Jane’s voice called out, “Coming!”

Stepping back, Alex looked down at the magazine she had picked up earlier and sighed. What were they going to do? How in the world was she going to get Jane past this? Why in the world had she signed up to be a manager in the first place? She couldn’t handle things like this!

The young star stumbled sleepily out of her room five minutes later, wearing nothing but a large, over-sized t-shirt. A shirt, Alex knew, that probably belonged to Hunt; before him, Jane wouldn’t be caught dead wearing something like that, even if it was only used as a pajama. “What’s up?” Jane asked with a tired yawn. “Why are you here so early?”

Alex bit her lip and tightened her grip on the magazine. “Um... where’s your cellphone?” She’ll need to filter through messages for the star, knowing that despite Jane’s strong front, it’ll be better if she didn’t read the harsher messages.

Jane looked around and shrugged. “I don’t know. Bathroom, maybe?”

“Okay,” Alex said, taking a deep breath. She realized with sudden horror that she probably should have rehearsed a speech before coming here. “We seem to have a... small problem,” she finished hesitantly in a slightly squeaky voice.

Jane frowned. “What kind of prob—”

“What’s going on?” Hunt’s voice interrupted, stepping out of Jane’s bedroom—wearing a shirt, thankfully.

Alex swallowed hard. “Um...” Even though it’s been a couple weeks since Jane and Hunt had officially been together, Alex found that she still couldn’t get used to it—to him, specifically. Not only did he have such a dominating—and frightening—presence, he was also one of the most powerful and famous figures in the industry. It was more than a little strange seeing him early in the morning, complete with messy bed-hair, hickeys littering his neck, and surrounded by the “after-sex glow.”

“Come on,” Jane said tiredly, lightly pushing her towards the direction of the open kitchen-dining room. “I’ll make us some coffee.”

“There’s no time for coffee!” Alex snapped, shoving the magazine article into Jane’s face. _“This!_ Read this!”

Wrinkling her nose, Jane sighed and grabbed the magazine, lowering it for a better view. “Oh dear,” she simply said as Hunt leaned over her shoulder, eyes narrowing dangerously as he read the title.

 _Jane Doe Scandal,_ the title read, _Seen Together with her University Professor, Thomas Hunt._

Alex watched as an understanding light flashed through Hunt’s eyes. She knew at once that he understood the consequences of such an article. Jane had only debuted about two years ago; despite her personality, she was still an easy target for such scandals. This was one of the main reasons why Hunt hadn’t wanted to start a relationship with her before and Alex worried what this scandal could do to them.

Leaning back against him so that he was supporting her weight, Jane looked up and twisted around slightly to face Hunt. “This isn’t going to change anything, is it?” she asked in a worried-sort of tone.

Hunt’s jaw twitched and he looked back down at the article. Alex was sure that like her, Hunt had also heard the subtle warning behind Jane’s question. After what had happened last time, there was no way Jane was going to play another game of chasing and waiting. If he left her now, even if it was for her own good, it would be the end of their relationship; there would be no second chances. “No,” he finally answered, his voice soft but firm.

“Good,” Jane said, tossing the magazine to the side with a bright smile. She reached out and grabbed Alex’s hand. “Come on,” she said, despite Alex’s bewildered expression. “Let’s make some breakfast.”

And for Jane, that was that.

* * *

 

Jane’s lack of reaction shouldn’t have surprised Alex, but it did. The young movie star was not the least bit concerned about the article, or anyone else’s response to it. “It’s not like you’re my professor any longer,” Jane told Hunt with a shrug when he brought up the subject again a couple days later. “Besides, nothing happened while I was a student.”

They exchanged subtle glances at her words and Alex wondered if that was, perhaps, not the complete truth. She also wondered if Jane’s life was a little too fortunate and due to that, she did not realize the severity of what could happen to her young and possibly _very_ short-lived career.

 _“Now, let’s talk about Jane Doe. We have to talk about Jane Doe,”_ a male celebrity news reporter on the television said. _“She’s been all over the news lately.”_

The three of them—who had all gathered at Jane’s condo for dinner—immediately turned towards the television. Jane’s name had dominated celebrity gossip since her relationship with Hunt went public but since neither party made any sort of public statement, the only thing the press could do was to speculate the details of their relationship.

 _“Yes,”_ the female reporter agreed. She turned towards the camera and folded her arms in front of her, trying to look as professional as possible despite the “news” she planned on reporting. _“For those that do not know: last week, Jane Doe was caught having a romantic late-night walk with her old university professor, Thomas Hunt.”_

 _“But was it really a_ romantic _walk?”_ the male reporter asked. _“Thomas Hunt is known to keep in contact with his old students.”_

Laughing, she answered, _“Ooh, it was_ definitely _a romantic walk.”_ Her eyebrows waggled suggestively. _“Not only were they caught holding hands_ —”

“I tripped!” Jane cried out, sounding horrified.

_“—we have a photo of them doing some serious lip-to-lip action.”_

“Lip-to-lip action?” Hunt hissed, equally horrified, as they showed a paparazzi photo of Hunt and Jane kissing. It was even worst than the one that captured Jane and Richard having a “romantic, candle-lit” dinner months ago. _“Really?_ Lip-to-lip action? Is that what brainless reporters are calling it these days?”

Jane winced. “That’s _such_ a bad angle of my face.” Alex and Hunt slowly turned to stare at her but she was too absorbed in patting and lifting her cheeks to notice.

 _“I must say, Jane is one_ very _lucky woman,”_ the female reporter continued. _“She has only debuted two years ago but already she’s on top of everyone’s list.”_

Her partner nodded in agreement. _“Not surprising considering her relationship with Thomas Hunt. Despite being retired, his name and influence cannot be underestimated in the industry.”_

_“Makes you wonder what else she has done to get herself where she is.”_

Alex immediately gasped, dropping her fork in process. Her eyes darted in Jane’s direction but the small smile on the star’s relaxed expression did not so much as to falter. Hearing a slight _crack_ on the other side of the table, Alex realized that perhaps, it wasn’t _Jane’s_ reaction she should be worried about.

“Turn it off,” Hunt growled out and Alex scrambled to obey.

“Oh, honestly,” Jane huffed, her voice amused. “Even if I had to suck some dick to get my parts, you can’t deny my talent.”

“Jane,” Hunt said softly.

She turned towards him then, eyes searching. And after a couple seconds of silently conversing with each other, Jane’s expression softened and she flashed him a smile. “Don’t worry about it,” she said, reaching across the table to pat his hand in a comforting manner. “I’m a big girl, I’m sure I can handle a few annoyances.”

Hunt sighed. “Do not underestimate the power of the press.”

“Please,” she replied teasingly, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “I graduated from Hollywood U; I had this amazing asshole of a professor who taught me how to deal with the press. You can’t go wrong with his advice.”

Alex watched as Hunt’s lips quirked upwards in response, the death-like grip he had on his fork loosening. And despite him not bringing the subject up again that night, she could tell he was still worried. The worst thing, Alex thought, was that even if he wanted to, Hunt knew he could not do anything for Jane in this kind of situation. If he tried to help, it would only confirm people’s suspicion that Jane prostituted herself to get where she was and Alex knew Hunt would never want that for her.

Working a piece of pork into her mouth, Alex could only pray that Jane had what it took to get through this.

* * *

 

For the next few days, Jane continued on as usual, handling the scandal the same way she handled everything else: acting like it was not negatively affecting her career. While most producers understood how the industry worked and ignored the scandal the same way Jane did, there were a few that dropped the young actress altogether, pulling back their job offers. Alex made sure to keep this particular fact hidden from her but she had a feeling that Jane knew anyway.

The press was _not_ happy with Jane’s response to their questions about the scandal—if she responded at all. More and more reporters were finding themselves at the end of Jane’s wit and sarcasm. And since they were too afraid to approach Hunt about it, Jane was the one dealing with most of the insults and backlash from the media.

“Jane!” a reporter shouted, shoving a microphone into her face as they left the studio. “Recent sources tell us that you graduated with one of the highest grades in your class. Does your relationship with Thomas Hunt have anything to do with that?”

Jane paused, turning to face him and Alex feared for the worst. “Come on, Jane,” she whispered softly, pulling her arm. “Let’s just go.” _Please?_ She knew they were going to have to address the issue sooner or later but Alex had hoped that Jane would at least tried to wait until a closed interview so they had more control over the situation.

“You’re asking if I slept with him to get an A?” Jane asked.

Around them, the reporters quieted down, both due to their surprise at her blunt question and also because they wanted to know the answer.

“I’m not sure if you ever attended school,” Jane said slowly in an exaggerated worried-filled tone. “But students have more than one professors, you know? So even if I _did_ sleep with him, it wouldn’t have been enough to give me one of the highest grade in my year.” She paused, thinking and then added: “Unless you think I slept with all my other professors too.”

Unable to help herself, Alex covered her mouth with a hand to hide an amused smile. The reporter who had asked the question looked slightly angry at Jane’s subtle, condescending response but there wasn’t much he could do about it. _Especially,_ Alex thought, since his question really was quite a stupid one.

“Also,” Jane continued. “If you have actually _done_ your research, you would have known that I only had a B in Hunt’s class.” Under her breath she added, “Those damn essays!”

Rolling her eyes, Alex took that as their cue to leave. “Pardon us,” she said, smiling pleasantly as she dragged Jane away towards the direction of their waiting car. “We have to leave now, sorry.” She pushed past the reporters, ducking underneath cameras and microphones as she pulled Jane along.

“The nerve of those idiots,” Jane huffed once they were sitting safely in the privacy of the car. “You think they would do a little more research before confronting me.”

“Careful, Jane,” Alex said. “You’re channeling you inner Hunt; cease and desist at once.”

Jane turned towards her, giving her a bewildered blink. Alex raised her eyebrows, daring her to deny it. She watched as a slow grin stretched across Jane’s lips before the young star finally burst into pearls of laughter. For a moment, it was as if everything was alright in Jane’s world.

But Alex knew better.

* * *

 

It was her one and once chance: Jane was currently taking a shower, out of earshot; she could do this. Taking slow, deep, calming breaths, Alex reminded herself that she had practiced before and she needed to make the move now! Who knew if she’ll ever get another opportunity like this?

“Um!” she exclaimed loudly and then winced. Already her speech was not going by plan.

Hunt, who had been preparing dinner, paused and turned to eye her.

She took another deep breath. “Do you...” she began, trying her hardest not to stutter. “Do you mind if I ask you for a favor?”

An eyebrow went up and Alex thought for sure she was going to pee her pants. Not surprising considering the man in front of her. Who was _she_ to ask _the_ Thomas Hunt for a favor? “What is it?” Hunt asked. Alex, who had only ever interacted with Hunt when he interacted with Jane flinched at his tone; she was used to a softer, more gentle tone. There was nothing soft about it right now.

“It’s about Jane,” Alex said quickly, using the name as a sort of shield.

As she had expected, his entire demeanor changed at her words. It was subtle, of course, but she had hung out around them long enough to notice. “What about Jane?” he asked, turning back to whisk the eggs he had been preparing.

“The way she’s been handling this... um, this scandal,” she began. “I don’t think she really understands what the media can do to her career. It’s barely been a week and already she’s been labeled with all these horrible names.”

Hunt frowned, his jaw muscle twitching. For a second, Alex thought he wanted to say something but he remained silent, patiently waiting for her to continue.

“And it’s only getting worst,” she told him, “partly because Jane’s refusing to answer any questions. I mean, I get that because of your... um, unique situation, there will always be some negative talk about your relationship but... but if Jane were to accept an interview, I think she could manage some damage control.”

“And you want me to convince her to do an interview?” Hunt asked, not looking up.

Alex nodded, softly replying, “Yes, please.”

He looked at her then and it was enough to make her knees shake. “As her manager,” he said slowly. “Isn’t that your job?”

She flinched at the reminder. “I’m not really a good manager,” Alex mumbled.

Hunt breathed out through his nose in a slightly exasperated manner and turned back to his dinner preparation. Alex had the strangest feeling that he was disappointed in her. Setting the whisked eggs aside, he moved onto chopping vegetables with a large knife most definitely _not_ meant for vegetable chopping.

She took a step back.

“You think I’ll be able to change Jane’s mind?” Hunt asked. Alex frowned. “Of course!” She looked up at him in confusion; did he not realize the impact he had on Jane’s decisions? If anyone could convince her to do something she didn’t want to do, it was Hunt.

“Jane listens only when she wants to,” he finally said. “This is something I would not be able to change her mind on.”

“But you changed her mind about working with Anders Stone.”

Hunt scoffed, unimpressed. “Only because she knew I was right.” He threw the chopped vegetables into the spare bowl and continued, “Jane usually does things her way; she listens and then comes up with her own conclusions. I should know, I was her professor.” He threw a slab of meat onto the cutting board and stabbed it none too gently.

She blinked. _Oh._ Now that he mentioned it, Alex could see where he was coming from. But still...

“Jane’s strong,” she admitted. “But even she can only take so much before she breaks.”

Movements stilling, Hunt placed his knife down and turned towards her again. Alex almost wished he would go back chopping vegetables. “After the first incident with Stone, Jane usually doesn’t do something with a backup plan,” Hunt said slowly as if even he did not believe his own words. “That being said, even if this _doesn’t_ turn out the way she wants it to, she’ll recover.” His eyes hooded and he smiled slightly. Despite the fact that his gaze was fixated in her direction, Alex knew he was no longer seeing her. “She always does.”

He had an unshakable belief in Jane’s abilities and Alex wondered if there was another part of her she had yet to witness. She wouldn’t be surprise if that was the case; both Jane and Hunt were more complicated than she ever thought a person could be. “I hope you’re right,” Alex murmured softly just as Jane stepped into the kitchen, twisting her hair into her towel.

“I’m hungry!” she announced in a sing-song voice.

“You can set the table,” Hunt immediately replied, his tone natural and smooth as if they hadn’t just been talking about her. Alex, on the other hand, had to take another step back, allowing her suddenly-pounding heart to calm. She felt like she was just caught doing something she shouldn’t have been doing.

Not noticing Alex’s odd behavior, Jane went over to rinse her hands before moving to gather all the needed silverware. “Do we need the big serving spoons?” she asked.

“The small ones are good enough.”

“I’ll help,” Alex said once she recovered. She reached over to pick up a couple plates from Jane’s arms before following her into the dining room.

Jane hummed as she worked, setting everything down carefully as if she was preparing dinner for important guests. Alex smiled as she watched; Jane was always in a good mood after a shower or bath. If Hunt couldn’t cheer her up, a good soak definitely could. When everything was finally set, Jane picked up the remote and turned on the dining room television where May Gordon’s _30 Minutes_ was airing.

The photo showing her and Hunt immediately filled up the screen. Alex almost rolled her eyes; they were still going on about that? “I don’t think you should watch that,” she said, looking over in Jane’s direction. May Gordon was not exactly known for her consideration; she reported any story that catches her attention, whether or not they’ve already been falsified. She was the Rita Skeeter of Hollywood and had ruined more than one celebrity’s life. Despite her reputation for reporting nothing but false gossip, she had many followers.

Jane laughed. “Are you still worried about me?”

“I know you’re strong,” Alex said, repeating her words from earlier. “But a person can only handle so much negative comments; you’re bound to get affected by them sooner or later.” She looked at her seriously. “Trust me, I took a psychology course back in college.”

“Thank you,” Jane replied warmly, gracing her with a soft smile. “But I’ll be fine, _trust me.”_

Alex wished she could but she knew all too well what words could do to someone.

 _“It’s not only the age difference that’s the issue here,”_ Gorden said, _“Thomas Hunt was her professor!”_

Jane rolled her eyes at the comment, turning around to straighten the napkins. She started humming again, hips swaying to the beat. Alex stared at her, trying to think of the situation from a different perspective. It was obvious that Jane really didn’t care about what the media thought of her. Despite the negative attention from them, she still had very strong support from people throughout various social media networks. _And that,_ Alex thought, _is where the real power is these days._ As long as she was still popular on the internet, as long as the majority of people still defended her online, Jane didn’t really need to worry about her career getting ruined.

 _“If Hunt had no qualms about getting involved with a former student, it makes you wonder what his boundaries are with his_ current _students.”_

At once, Jane’s light-hearted humming stopped and Alex watched as she slowly turned around to face the television screen. She held her breath as the young star’s usually bright gaze darkened.

_“Does Thomas Hunt still deserve to be a professor at such a prominent university?”_

Jane’s eyes narrowed into small slits and Alex couldn’t help the shiver traveling its way down her spine. And this, Alex realized, was a side of Jane she had never expected to exist. Jane who was one of the nicest person she knows; Jane who was willing to help out anyone she could, Jane who remembered the little people, Jane who was witty and playful and maybe just a little sarcastic, Jane who never planned on responding to the media’s outrageous claims. But now...

Now...

They had attacked Thomas Hunt and Alex was sure Jane wasn’t going to let that slide. Like how Hunt was known for his ability to shut down a new establishment with a well-worded tweet, Alex was sure _this_ Jane—the one with the dark, dangerous look in her eyes—was going to do the same thing to the unsuspecting talk show host.

And here Alex had thought _Hunt_ was the one to be fearful of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I would like to thank everyone for reading and supporting my stories. All your kudos, favorites, and / or comments means so, so much to me, you guys have no idea. Your reviews are what keeps me writing. Unfortunately, I’ll be taking a short hiatus but I hope you’ll continue to stick with me until then.**


	7. Deep Bonds

Alex counted one, two, three, four... aaand _five_ students walking out in tears. Having never actually been in this exact situation before, she wasn’t sure if it was a normal occurrence and—if it was—wondered what she had gotten herself into. When it seemed as if all the students had finally left, Alex took a deep breath and walked through the large—almost ominous-looking—double doors with confidence she definitely did not feel.

Hunt looked up and raised his eyebrows. “Alexandria,” he greeted and she tried not to shiver. “What are you doing here?”

“Um,” she began, ringing her hands together nervously. “I was wondering... do you happen to know where Jane is?”

Silence.

“Jane?” he finally repeated in a tone that seemed to promise her head on a platter.

“Yes!” she burst out quickly, wanting to get the whole thing done and over with. “I went to her condo to pick her up this morning like usual but she wasn’t there. So I tried calling, but she’s refusing to pick up.” She paused and then—mostly to herself—added, “Maybe she left it in her bathroom again?” After a moment, Alex shook her head and went back to address the problem at hand. “And since I couldn’t find her, I decided to call the director of her next job but he told me that Jane had already called him the night before and told him she wasn’t going to show up. Which means, she’s _obviously_ avoiding my phone calls because she doesn’t want me to know where she is. And considering what’s been happening lately, that is so not a good idea!” Finally finished, she sucked in a deep breath and held it, waiting for Hunt’s reaction.

He appeared calm enough, Alex observed, which was a good thing! His eyes also seemed to be a darker shade than normal, which, honestly, was just downright frightening. “You have no idea where she could be?” he asked.

“No!” she immediately replied. “I thought... maybe she told you?”

Hunt sighed. “No.”

“Darn,” she huffed. “I was so sure she would have at least told you something. I can’t imagine why she’s even—”

Alex froze.

Oh.

Oh!

_Oh!_

—those dark, _dangerous_ eyes—

“Oh dear,” she squeaked. “Oh no.”

“What is it?” Hunt asked, sounding just the slightest bit alarmed.

Alex looked up at him, eyes wide and frightened. She wondered how she was going to tell him that he may be the reason why Jane had disappeared. “Um, well... I think I may know why she’s gone. Just not _where,_ or _what she’s going to do.”_ Alex finished in a horrified whisper.

 _“Alexandria,”_ Hunt snapped. “Are you quite done babbling?”

She flinched. Despite her wariness around him, he had never actually snapped at her before (mainly because Jane was there to divert his attention). She could _definitely_ see why five of his students left the lecture room in tears now; she would probably be student number six if she was his student. “Yes,” she squeaked.

“What’s going on?”

“The other night at dinner, Jane may have saw your professionalism being called into question because of your relationship on national television,” Alex blurted out.

Hunt paused. Then blinked. Finally, as if just registering the implications, he squeezed his eyes shut and brought his fingers up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Foolish,” he whispered with a sigh but Alex knew there was no real bite to his words. If anything, Alex thought that Hunt might actually be _proud_ of her in an odd sort of way.

Without warning, Hunt spun around to face her. The movement was so sudden, Alex took a step back in fright. “Who was the one that made the comment?” he demanded.

“Eh?“

"The one that doubted my professionalism.”

“Oh.” Alex frowned, thinking. “Um, May Gordon, I believe. On her _30 Minutes_ show.”

She watched as he narrowed his eyes in concentration. “What time did you stop by her place?”

“Around twelve,” she answered. “Only about two hours ago.” 

Hunt looked down at his watch, eyes lighting up as he realized something. Alex watched as he made his way to the back of the podium and picked up a remote so he could turn on the large television behind him.

May Gordon’s face immediately filled up the screen, happily greeting her audience as the opening theme to her show played on in the background. “Oh no,” Alex whispered. “Please don’t tell me she’s there.” Why hadn’t _she_ thought of this? On Fridays—and _only_ on Fridays—did _30 Minutes_ have an afternoon showing. She should have suspected something when the time of Jane’s disappearance fit so perfectly well into that slot. Hadn’t she suspected Jane was going to attempt to ruin Gordon’s career only a few nights ago?

 _“I’m sure you’ve all been wanting to hear new information about the latest Jane Doe scandal,”_ May Gordon said, seating herself comfortably on her armchair. _“And it is my_ pleasure _to give you just that.”_

“Oh hell,” Alex whispered as cheers erupted from the audience.

Hunt grunted softly and sat down on one of the various student desks.

_“Please welcome Addison Sinclair and Harrison Byrd!”_

Alex paused. “Eh?”

“They were both Jane’s classmates,” Hunt explained. Somehow, Alex wasn’t surprised; everyone who was anyone seemed to have graduated from the university. Despite her age, Addison Sinclair was one of the best fashionistas in the world, having already taken the Americas and Europe by storm. Although not an actress, her acting skills were nothing to laugh at. On the other hand, Harrison Byrd was only the most sought-after, charismatic, talk show host to ever exist. It was rumored that he was going to be the next host of the _Oscars._

“Oh,” she mumbled back in reply, feeling both confused and a little relieved. If Jane wasn’t going to show up at the talk show then where was she? Watching from the distance? Or was it possibly that Jane had fallen off her bed and rolled underneath it again? _Damn,_ Alex thought to herself. She should have checked!

 _“Thank you for having us on the show,”_ Harrison said politely, flashing the cameras and audience a charming smile.

Next to her, Hunt snorted softly in disgust.

 _“I’m just going to go straight to the point,”_ Gordon said the moment they sat down. _“You promised me stories of Jane’s university days with Hunt.”_

From the corner of her eyes, she saw Hunt tense up next to her. She held her breath.

 _“Did we?”_ Harrison asked, still smiling. _“I thought we were hear to talk about the possibility of me hosting the Oscars.”_

May opened her mouth but Addison was faster. _“No!”_ she immediately interrupted. _“That’s just a possibility._ I _have a new line of clothing out.”_

 _“Enough,”_ May snapped. _“I only have thirty minutes and I doubt that’s long enough for me to get through all my questions.”_

 _"Yes,”_ Harrison agreed sadly. _“It’s too bad your show hasn’t been upgraded to a longer time slot. What a waste.”_

Alex sat up, watching the interview unfold with a frown. Was it just her or were his words oddly familiar? Those subtle jibes was something she imagined Jane would say if she was the one sitting in Harrison’s seat. She turned, seeing the same frowning expression on Hunt’s face. Obviously she wasn’t the only one who thought so.

 _“Can we talk about Jane Doe now?”_ Gordon asked, ignoring the honey-layered insult.

Harrison rolled his eyes. _“Fine, let’s talk.”_

May grinned, smelling sweet success. _“I’m sure you’ve both heard the rumors that Jane Doe—your_ classmate _back during your university days—was seen together with Thomas Hunt who was one of your professors.”_

 _“Yes,”_ Addison said dryly. _“It’s kind of hard to miss.”_

_“And what were your thoughts when you first heard the news?”_

Harrison and Addison exchanged glances. _“Not... surprised, really,”_ Harrison finally answered.

Heart beating hard against her chest, Alex held her breath again. She tried to inch away from Hunt as inconspicuous as possible when his hands clenched into tight fists.

 _“Oh?”_ Gordon cried out in excitement. _“Does that mean they had some sort of relationship even while she was still his student?”_

Addison shook her head. _“I wouldn’t put it that way,”_ she said. _“It’s hard to explain if you weren’t there. Jane and Professor Hunt went at each other; there was not a day when the two of them didn’t disagree on something. They’re both so strong-willed and stubborn, it’s no real surprise."_

Harrison nodded in agreement. _“The way I see it, they were either going to end up killing each other or marry each other.”_

It clearly was not the answer Gordon was looking for but she was a woman on a mission and quickly regathered her thoughts. _“I’ve heard rumors”_ —meaning she made it up, probably— _”that Thomas Hunt gave Jane special treatment. Are there any truths to this rumor?”_

Harrison shrugged. _“I guess. I mean, he was kind of an asshole to her. If that’s what you want to consider special treatment, then sure.”_

Alex snickered softly at Gordon’s outraged expression. “Jane’s behind this,” she guessed. Asshole was Jane’s to-go term when it came to Hunt, after all. There was no way anyone had the guts to call Hunt an asshole on national television without Jane’s assurance of their safety.

“Yes,” Hunt agreed, scowling.

 _“But surely that’s a cover-up?”_ Gordon asked, obviously growing more and more annoyed with each answer. _“What were Jane’s grade like in his class?”_

Addison and Harrison exchanged glances again. _“Well,”_ Addison finally began slowly. _“Her participation grade wasn’t so great. She usually talks back to him, gets kicked out, and doesn’t get the point for the day.”_

 _“_ _Her essays weren’t great either,”_   Harrison added with an amused smile. _“But that’s just because Jane has a deep loathing for papers and leaves them until the last minute.”_

It was obvious these were not the answers the interviewer—nor the audience—were hoping for; vague and not as juicy as they wanted. _“But given their relationship,”_ Gordon pressed, _“surely Hunt would be flexible when it comes to Jane’s grade. She did graduate with one of the highest grade in her year, after all.”_

Addison scowled. _“First of all, they didn’t_ have _a relationship when we were his students. Secondly, Professor Hunt isn’t the type of person!”_

Eyes lighting up, Gordon fought to hold back a grin as she leaned forward. _“Perhaps you also had a relationship with Thomas Hunt? I can’t imagine why else you would defend him so strongly if he was as hard of a professor and person as you say he is.”_

“Oh dear,” Alex mumbled. This interview was taking a rather disturbing turn.

Harrison crossed his legs and discretely rested a calming hand on Addison’s thigh, a wide grin spreading across his face. He was an award show host of the highest esteem; Alex was sure he knew exactly how to handle these kinds of situations. _“You’re seriously asking us if Professor Hunt manages a huge sex orgy in his classroom?”_

Alex, along with most of Gordon’s audience laughed at the mere thought. Slowly but surely, Harrison and Addison was turning the interview around in their—or rather, _Jane’s_ —favor.

_“N-no! Of course not, that’s absurd!”_

_“Besides,”_ Addison added. _“If you’re so curious about all of this, why don’t you just ask Jane or Professor Hunt yourself?”_ It was common knowledge why no one was getting direct answers from the source; Jane was good at avoiding and ignoring the media and Alex could think of more than a few reasons why no one wanted to ask Hunt.

 _“I would if she stopped hiding,”_ Gordon huffed.

_“She’s backstage, you know?”_

_“What?!”_ Gordon, Alex, and Hunt all exclaimed at once.

“Oh man,” Alex groaned. “I knew it. I knew it!”

The camera swiveled around just in time to catch Jane stepping out from behind the curtains. The response from the audience at her sudden, unexpected appearance was absolutely deafening. Hunt winched, picking the remote up so he could lower the volume.

 _“Jane!”_ Gordon exclaimed in obvious shock, standing up.

 _“Hello,”_ Jane greeted cheerfully. _“I heard you wanted an interview.”_

It was obvious from the pinched look on Gordon’s face that she neither expected nor welcomed Jane’s sudden appearance. Jane wasn’t there to give her the interview she wanted and she knew it. Not to mention, Gordon didn’t have time to plan the interview so it would go her way, she was at a disadvantage on her own show. _“Jane,”_ she said again. _“This... this is certainly a surprise.”_

Jane smiled, teeth flashing from the bright stage light. There was nothing sweet about that smile. _“Apparently I’ve been full of surprises, recently,”_ she replied smoothly in a light-hearted tone that made the crowd erupt into cheers.

Gordon smiled back but it was strained. _“As much as I may want to interview you, I’m afraid we don’t have enough time to slide you in.”_

Jane laughed in response and that sound alone was enough to send shivers down Alex’s spine. _“That’s all right,”_ replied Jane as she flicked her hair over her shoulder. _“I pulled some strings so your show has been upgraded to an hour long.”_ She smiled again and took a seat in an unoccupied armchair. At once, Harrison and Addison shifted themselves around so they were facing her. All in all, it was quite clear who _really_ was running the show. _“That should be long enough for me to answer all your questions,”_ Jane said, crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap. _“No?”_

Clearing her throat in an attempt to buy herself more time to think, Gordon shifted herself around uncomfortably in her seat.

When Gordon didn’t say anything, Jane smiled and turned towards Harrison. _“So I hear you might be hosting the Oscars?”_

 _“_ _That’s right”_ he replied, winking. _“Wish me luck.”_

Alex took in a deep breath, awed by the game Jane was so easily playing. Without giving herself away to the audience, Jane was subconsciously displaying the power she had over Gordon and how easily she could crush the talk-show host.

 _“So,”_ Gordon interrupted, trying to regain the advantage and momentum she was known for during her interviews. _“You and Thomas Hunt...”_

 _“Me and Hunt,”_ Jane repeated with a secretive smile as she turned back to face Gordon.

Gordon was not amused. _“Why don’t you tell us about your relationship?”_ she asked. Her lips quirked as if she finally figured out what to say. _“You’ve been avoiding the press recently. No one’s been able to get any answers out of you.”_

 _“Yea, that’s right,”_ Jane agreed with a dramatic sigh. _“Apparently privacy’s a bit too much to ask for these days.”_ She looked so genuinely sad, the audience members looked like they were going to cry in her place.

On the other hand, Gordon was not the least bit affected. Alex wasn’t surprised, she makes a living out of ruining the lives of various celebrities. Sitting up straighter, Gordon leaned forward in anticipation, _“So you guys_ are _together?”_

Jane rolled her eyes. _“I thought that was pretty obvious.”_

_“And?”_

_“And what?”_ Jane asked, sounding confused. _“He was my professor, and now he isn’t. There really isn’t much to say about it.”_

 _“When did this start?”_ Gordon pressed. _“How did you guys get together?”_

Jane shrugged, bored with the topic and Alex was sure the audience were too. Scandals were exciting but it was clear Jane’s relationship with Hunt was no forbidden affair-like scandal. _“A couple months ago, maybe? I kept in contact with Hunt after graduation because he has really good advice, you know? And we just started talking after that.”_ She shrugged again. _“A bit boring if you ask me, I don’t know why you’re all so interested.”_ Jane smiled, eyelashes fluttering as she looked at Gordon.

Sucking in a deep breath, Alex clasped her hands together tightly in front of her. “Oh dear,” She muttered and from the corner of her eyes saw Hunt turn towards her again. She swallowed hard, turning towards him. “You know that look in her eyes? That look when she’s—”

“About to do something that’s really going to piss someone off?”

Alex winced. “Yea...”

On the television screen, Jane rearranged herself subtly, her spine straightening, gaze darkening, and smile twisting. _“Now, enough about me,”_ Jane purred, her voice like icy steel. _“Have you heard the news?”_

It was unfortunate that Gordon was only familiar with the university-age Jane, the same one that got tricked by Anders Stone and his legal team; Alex was not surprised to see the talk show host underestimating the _very_ successful actress. The Jane that was currently sitting across from her was older, wiser, and looking for blood. She leaned forward again, believing that the interview was going to be turned back in her favor. _“News? What news?”_

 _“Mm,”_ Jane murmured, pretending to think as she exchanged amused glances with Harrison. _“Isn’t your contract with the talk show ending this season?”_

Gordon froze. _“Yes...”_

 _“I thought so.”_ Jane nodded. _“Because I was talking to the producers earlier and they were telling me how they wanted to upgrade_ 30 Minutes _to an hour-long show.”_ She looked at Gordon and smiled again. This time, Alex was sure she wasn’t the only one who saw the steel behind it, Gordon looked as if she wanted to walk off her own stage.

 _Not really hers anymore,_ Alex thought in satisfaction.

Jane looked at Gordon and continued, _“But you’re not a fan of those super-long talks shows, are you? I remember you telling me that you preferred to get straight to the point.”_

_“That’s right...”_

Despite the tension between the two of them, Jane was doing a very good job pretending everything was perfectly fine and the audience was none the wiser. Perhaps to her, everything was fine, Alex thought, but that certainly wasn’t the case for Gordon.

 _“Speaking of talk shows,”_ Jane said suddenly, turning towards Harrison. _“Isn’t it Kendra’s dream to be a talk show host?”_

 _“It is,”_ he immediately confirmed before flashing Gordon a smile. _“Kendra Soto-Peralta,”_ he clarified, despite her not asking. _“My girlfriend.”_

Gordon’s jaw twitched. _“I see.”_

 _“Oh my,”_ Jane said, looking straight at the camera. _“It looks like this is all the time we have.”_ She turned to face Gordon again. _“Thank you_ so _much for having me on the show.”_ And before she could reply, the audience burst into applause, happy to be there when Jane finally decided to give her first interview. The camera zoomed out and Alex watched as the actress leaned closer towards Gordon to whisper something into her ear. Judging by the host’s expression, it wasn’t good news.

“Oh, she’s vicious,” Alex breathed, shuddering. She then turned to look at Hunt. “And I can’t believe I was scared of _you.”_

Hunt stared at her.

“Compared to her, you’re rather nice, aren’t you?”

He huffed and moved to turn away again before something behind her caught his eye. Alex watched his gaze softened and she turned around, not surprised to see Jane leaning against the doorway, an amused smirk playing across her lips.

“Jane!” she exclaimed. “How long were you standing there?”

“Only for a couple minutes,” Jane answered, pushing herself off the doorway before making her way towards them. Alex scowled.

“You should have told me you were doing this!” The actress raised an eyebrow, lips pursing.

“You would have stopped me.”

“Probably,” Alex admitted in a soft mutter.

“You have good friends,” Hunt said suddenly in a low voice.

Jane smiled as she turned to look over at the screen, gaze warming as Harrison, Addison, and herself laughed at something their microphones didn’t quite catch. “The very best,” she replied confidently, her gaze sliding over in Alex’s direction.

Alex could feel her heart pound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **One more chapter after this to wrap things up and this story is finally finished! Thank you guys for sticking with me!**


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